After The Hotel Night
by ScrollLocke
Summary: Scully and Reyes are forced to share a bed while on the road for case which leads to them becoming closer friends, maybe more than friends. ;)
1. Chapter 1

They were already experts on small towns, far from an airport, where strange occurrences seem to prefer to exist rather than some place more convenient. Somebody drives, somebody pumps the gas, somebody checks in to the hotel, and everybody can't wait to be back home in their own bed.

Scully and Reyes arrived at the motel nearing 2am. They were very ready to rest for what would probably be a long day to come. They unlocked their room door and discovered their reservation of a room with two double beds actually contained a single queen bed. They both protested in their heads for all of a minute before Monica sighed and then headed to the bathroom to change. Scully was focused solely on sleeping and quickly got undressed and in bed. Monica turned off the lights and joined her.

They faced away from each other on their sides. It was a little odd to both of them - the feeling of sharing a vulnerable action like sleeping. Certainly not something either of them had planned for. Maybe something both of them had thought about in passing - on some night where loneliness was unavoidable and what they already knew of as comforting, something or _someone_, easily came to mind.

Scully was surprised she was still awake after having closed her eyes for what seemed like a decent amount of time. It might have been because Monica was stirring enough for Scully to notice it. Eventually she rolled over on her other side to face Monica's back and whispered, "Are you awake?" Monica turned her head slightly and whispered back, "Why are we still awake? We were both so tired like 30 minutes ago." Scully sighed and offered, "I brought some antihistamines. If we take enough it'll knock us out."

Scully woke up with the rising sun with a sunny feeling. She felt rested but it was more than just that. Once she was fully awake she realized Monica was half draped over her. The antihistamines had put them both in a deep sleep. They might have spent the whole night in that position. Scully laughed to herself at the thought, because it seemed so improbable that she ever met Reyes to begin with, considering all the events that lead up to their first meeting. Such a strange world they both lived in together. Scully was grateful for their friendship and let herself enjoy the feeling of someone else's heartbeat against hers.

Reyes had woken up a few times during the night. The first time Scully's body was touching hers. Legs, arms, shoulders. It made her nervous but she didn't move. She was really only nervous that Scully would wake up and be bothered by it. In her perfect world, Scully was touching her on purpose. Monica felt a connection to her after their first few interactions. They eventually shared beliefs and truths that nobody else in the universe could share with them. Considering they were both Pisces, Monica wasn't surprised they formed a solid partnership quickly.

The case was resolved within a day and they were back in the car headed to the airport that evening. Reyes was humming along to the radio and tapping the steering wheel. They hadn't spoken much until Reyes suddenly got quiet and then blurted out, "Sorry if I drooled on you last night." Scully looked up from her paperwork and smiled towards her, "Ditto."

A week later they were sitting next to each other going through files in their office when Scully looked over at Monica and realized how tired she looked. "You ok Monica?" Monica looked up with concern, "Do I not look ok?" Scully raised her eyebrow. "I haven't slept for days." Monica admitted. "And you tried an antihistamine again, yes?" Monica nodded, "Yes but it doesn't put me to sleep so I think it's making me even more tired. I'll be fine. I can't stay awake forever." Scully went into doctor mode, "Well," she looked at the calendar, "It's Friday, if you haven't slept by Monday, I could get you a prescribed sleeping pill. Have you tried exercising?" Monica laughed, "If exercising includes when I get up from bed because I can't sleep and move to the couch, where I can't sleep, and then pacing around, and then moving back to the bed to not sleep, yes." Her tone was so defeated Scully went into friend mode instead. "You could always try watching some boring movies," Scully offered. Reyes smiled, "Please don't make me watch The Lazarus Bowl." They both laughed.

The next evening Scully was contemplating what to order for takeout when she got a text from Monica. "Have you eaten? In the mood for boring?" Scully smiled. When she made the movie suggestion she thought it sounded nice to hang out with Monica outside of work but she felt a little strange just saying that. They were close as work partners and they cared about each other but they didn't have many occasions to truly get to know each other. She texted back, "Already in full boring mode. I was just going to order takeout. Do you want to order it instead? I can be there in 30 minutes."

Scully's response gave Monica a burst of energy. She was excited she would at least have company while she remained miserably awake. She wasn't quite ready to admit she was mainly excited because it was Scully's company in particular. She ordered food, opened a bottle of wine, and waited. Scully arrived at the same time as the food. They sat on either sides of the couch and settled in. "Alright Dr. Scully," Monica teased, "What movie do you prescribe?" Scully shook her head, "Doesn't matter. I drugged your drink. You'll be asleep within minutes." Reyes quickly sat her drink down. "Are you serious?" Scully laughed. "No." Reyes grabbed a couch pillow and gave Scully a playful smack.

Half way into the movie they ran out of wine. "Should I open another bottle?" Reyes asked. Scully checked her cell phone for the time and Monica teased, "Have a hot date to get to tonight?" Scully smirked and shook her head, "The only thing resembling a date of any kind that I've had in the past 5 years is currently happening." The thought of Scully and date together made Monica suddenly nervous. She faked a laugh hoping Scully wouldn't sense her shift in energy. "I'm so sorry your first date in 5 years is with me." Scully shrugged, "You are kind of my type though." Monica perked up, "And what type is that?" Scully playfully raised an eyebrow, "Tall, dark, and handsome."

Something about teasing Monica was so intriguing to Scully. She did think Monica was beautiful but didn't everybody? What she really wanted was to unravel Monica because who doesn't love a good investigation into a mystery? They both had a craving for the feeling of mutual trust and respect, preferably mixed in with humor and some kind of physical affection. Scully had that with Mulder except he was impossible to sustain it with. And eventually, it grew tiring for both of them to try. There was still a missing piece outside of Mulder's selfishness though that Scully hadn't understood yet. Tall, dark, and handsome had hooked Scully more than a few times in her life. Monica really did fit the description. She couldn't help but compare her to Mulder. They both were open minded, brilliant, and maybe just a little bit "spooky". But Monica, Monica was gentle and loving and radiated positivity. It certainly drew Scully in, in what way, she wasn't sure of.

Monica stood, "Definitely taller than you, at least. Dark hair is accurate. And I'll be a lot more handsome if we have another bottle of wine." She opened another bottle and poured another round. After one glass Scully fell asleep. Monica didn't want to wake her right away so she finished the movie. Scully awoke when the credits started playing. "What time is it?" she asked with squinted eyes. "2:00" Monica replied. Scully yawned and sat up straight. "I'm sorry I didn't mean ..." Monica interrupted her, "You're welcome to stay here." Scully nodded, "If you really don't mind. I'm not completely sober." Scully borrowed a tshirt and athletic shorts from Monica and changed in the bathroom. She poked her head into Monica's room on her way back to the couch. "Do you have an extra blanket I could use?" Monica had just climbed into bed and teased, "Yes, it's this blanket but the catch is you can only use it in this bed." Scully playfully rolled her eyes, "Are you asking me if I want to sleep in your bed?" Monica nodded, "I'm not opposed to begging. I haven't really slept since you and I shared a bed at that hotel." Scully leaned against the door frame and thought about it.

Monica was having trouble reading Scully's face so she sweetened the deal, "I'll make you breakfast in the morning." Scully was almost as tired as she was when they ended up sharing the hotel bed. She had played with the thought of staying the night as soon as she had more than one glass of wine. And now a breakfast offer? Monica's bed did look comfortable. Scully had no reason to protest at all this time. She climbed in and laid on her side facing Monica. Monica turned over to face her and said softly, "Thank you. And an advanced apology for drooling, again."

Monica woke before Scully. She found herself in the big spoon position. Her body against Scully's back. Her arm draped over Scully's waist. Her mouth so close to Scully's neck. Luckily, no drool in sight. She let herself sink into the feeling of comfort, of feeling rested. The last woman she shared a bed with was years ago. She briefly dated a guy who had a sister who caught her eye and then briefly dated the sister. She defined her sexuality as open minded, as she tried to be with everything. She didn't know if Scully knew or not. They hadn't talked about it but Monica didn't typically try to hide any part of herself, especially not from Scully.

Scully stirred in her sleep and pushed her hips back against Monica's. It surprised Monica and she loosened her hold. The sudden lack of pressure woke Scully up. Monica was disappointed the moment was already over. Scully rolled onto her other side to face Monica. Monica rolled onto her back. "Morning," Scully said quietly. Monica held her eyes on the ceiling for a second then looked at Scully, "I'm not sure I'm ready for morning." Scully wasn't either but didn't want to overstay her welcome. "I will happily fall back asleep," Scully offered. Monica smiled and lifted up her arm to encourage Scully to cuddle with her again. Scully scooted over and laid her head above Monica's chest. Scully whispered, "This is new to me. Whatever this is. I like it, I just, I don't know what it is." Monica took a breath and held it for a second. She didn't know what it was either and had a hard time responding so she half joked, "Are we best friends?" Scully smiled against her, "Maybe best friends with sleeping benefits? Whatever we are you owe me breakfast when we wake up."

Scully easily dozed off again. Monica's mind was ignited with questions that wouldn't let her sleep. "How is it even possible that Scully is in my bed, sleeping on top of me? How have we gone from before that night in the hotel to now? So much had changed in a short amount of time. Monica thought back to the first time she thought about Scully sexually. It was a scorching summer day a few months ago and the X-Files office was hotter than usual. When Monica arrived at the office Scully had taken off her suit jacket, rolled up the sleeves of her shirt, and unbuttoned it one button lower than she normally did. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail and her shoes were off. Monica found herself glancing over at her as they worked. Something about this version of Scully was so sexy. She couldn't get the thought out of her head for a few days following. She really didn't want to deal with the constant act she'd have to put on, pretending she wasn't thinking about what Scully would look like taking off the rest of her clothes. She set an intention of moving on from the thought and it worked, until the night at the hotel.

When Scully awoke, she was alone in bed. She was alone in Monica's bed, having spent the night touching Monica in some fashion. It all seemed natural but still so surprising. She had never had a sexuality discussion with Monica so she wasn't sure if there was a possibility that something sexual was going on between them or maybe she was just totally off base. Scully had never been with a woman. She was pretty sure she was open to it but life just hadn't gone that way for her. She hadn't thought of Monica sexually until this morning, when somehow their legs were tangled and hips were moving to readjust and unintentional grinding happened. It turned Scully on. She found herself wondering what she'd do if Monica made a move on her but quickly cut the thought off. She didn't want their partnership to suffer due to unsettled energy between them.

Eventually she got out of bed and found Monica in the kitchen, keeping her promise. "How'd you sleep?" Monica asked as Scully sat down at the table. "I slept well, actually. But I should be asking you that question. Feel rested finally?" "Yes," she replied with an obvious amount of relief in her voice, "I feel great. Thank you again, for staying," she poured coffee for both of them and sat down. Monica had continued to think about Scully as she made them breakfast. The more she thought about what their current dynamic was the more nervous she became. They were work partners. It would be against protocol to have a relationship with a coworker. Mulder might strangle her. John wouldn't believe it. And it might not end up having any staying power and would be a lot of heartache for nothing. The best solution Monica could come up with was to commit to keeping it non sexual. Intimate was fine. Best friends, great.

They drank coffee, ate breakfast, and talked about anything except the night before. "You're a good cook, Monica," Scully said after finishing her plate. Monica smiled, "I'm glad you think so. The last woman I dated hated my eggs with a passion." It spilled out of Monica's mouth before she could catch herself. Scully briefly paused from taking a drink of coffee. Monica did her best to stay calm, act casual. She stood quickly and picked up their plates. Scully could tell Monica was regretful. "Well, she was wrong," Scully said as she stood to help clear the table, "and she was lucky to have you."


	2. Chapter 2

Scully left Monica's apartment not long after they finished cleaning up from breakfast. Monica plopped down on her couch and took a deep breath. She was relieved at Scully's response to her unintentional revealing of her dating history but now her attraction to Scully was ignited, again. She didn't want to be attracted to her. She wanted someone else to swoop in and take her mind off the situation. But how would she find someone when it felt like Scully's face was a screensaver in her mind. Every time she stopped thinking about anything she would start thinking of her. For the first time in her career history, she dreaded Monday.

When Scully arrived at the X-Files office she found Monica sitting at a desk in the back. Monica was focused on the file she was going through and didn't notice Scully's entrance. Scully came up behind her and put a hand on her shoulder, "Morning." The sudden touch made Monica jump in her chair. Scully moved her hand away and apologized, "Sorry Monica, I didn't mean to scare you." Monica turned toward her, "Not your fault. I'm not normally jumpy. Just in a bit of a daze." Scully nodded matter of factly and then sat down at her desk across the room. Monica turned back around and rolled her eyes at herself.

After an hour of silence between them, Scully turned towards Monica. "You interested in getting a coffee? That new place down the street opened today." Monica took a slow breath and then turned around. Of course she wanted to get a coffee with Scully. "Sure," she said as casually as possible. As they were walking towards the cafe, Scully could sense something was off with Monica. Her body language was reserved. "You have trouble sleeping again?" she asked. Monica shook her head, "No, I slept fine." She turned her head towards Scully and could tell Scully was concerned. She attempted to break the uneasiness, "I just feel a little off today, Dr. Scully. Nothing a coffee can't cure."

They ordered and sat at a table on the patio. It was a beautiful fall day. Scully's hair looked particularly on fire next to the orange and yellow leaves of the trees around them. They chatted a bit about their current caseload. Monica found herself staring at Scully's lips here and there. Scully was watching Monica more closely than she would normally watch anyone. She suspected Monica's shift in energy had something to do with what happened between them but she was still unsure what exactly was happening between them. Monica was leaning in towards her but her responses were short and her eyes wandered.

She eventually had to say something. "Monica, I, I hope you don't feel bad about anything that happened this weekend. I would never judge you and I certainly don't want you to be uncomfortable, I," Monica interrupted her, "It's not your fault." Monica felt terrible that Scully accepted any responsibility for her current state. "I had a lovely time with you. And if you really want me to watch Lazarus Bowl with you, I will." Scully laughed and relaxed back in her chair, "How about we do something not boring?" Monica was intrigued but cautious, "What did you have in mind?"

About a week later, after Monica snapped herself out of the Scully fog, she agreed to meet her for dinner and drinks at a rooftop restaurant downtown. It seemed non boring enough but Monica would have agreed to do almost anything Scully wanted to do. She arrived early and waited for Scully at the bar. A woman sitting next to her struck up a conversation that Monica found surprisingly enjoyable. She eventually checked her phone and discovered a text from Scully saying she was running late. The woman she was chatting with was already quite drunk and ordered them both another round. Monica was three drinks in when Scully arrived.

She noticed Monica quickly due to a loud laughter coming from the bar area. She was surprised to see a woman sitting rather close to Monica, leaning in even closer, both of them laughing. It stirred up an interesting feeling. Scully couldn't assess it completely but it felt something like jealousy. Monica noticed her and waved her over. Monica hopped up of her barstool and greeted Scully. "Hi!" she said exuberantly. "Hi. Is the table ready?" Scully asked. "Yes! I'm starving." Monica tried her best to not slur. She said a quick goodbye to her bar friend. "Who was your friend?" Scully inquired as they walked to their table. Monica teased, "Who wants to know?" She admitted to herself that she had one drink too many. She wasn't used to needing alcohol to loosen her up. Although she desperately wanted to not be, she was nervous about hanging out with Scully again. The woman at the bar was a welcomed distraction.

After they were done with dinner they decided to check out the view of downtown from the deck outside. As Scully was looking around the skyline she caught a glimpse of Monica from the side. It caused Scully to take a quick breath in. It wasn't the first time Scully had thought about Monica as stunning but it was the first time where everything around them disappeared. Monica suddenly turned her head toward Scully and caught her looking. The thought of Scully looking directly at her, amongst a beautiful view on a beautiful evening, gave her a more than just nervous feeling.

Scully smiled when Monica caught her glaze. Monica smiled back, "Thank you for inviting me tonight," she said casually, trying to keep her cool. Scully put her hand on top of Monica's, which was resting on the deck rail. "There are very few people who I would want to spend an evening with." She lifted her hand in case it was causing any tension but both of them were smiling. "Is it boring if we just go back to my place?" she asked. Monica yawned, "There's a high likelihood that I'm going to fall asleep on your couch. So probably, pretty boring?" Scully playfully sighed and smiled, "At least we'll be boring together."

Later they were at Scully's apartment, on the couch, trying not to fall asleep. Monica was still yawning. She wasted all her energy trying to not make the night uncomfortable. "I can take you home," Scully offered, "if you'd rather." Monica definitely did not want to sleep alone but she definitely did not want trouble between them. She struggled with the right answer. Before she could answer Scully put her hand on Monica's knee and teased, "That's not what I want to happen. But if you stay, I expect to get a free breakfast out of the deal. Just so we're clear."

They were in bed, both lying on their backs staring at the ceiling and wondering what the other was thinking. It kept both of them from sleeping even though they were tired. Scully couldn't help but think about the nights where she fell asleep on Mulder's couch or him on hers. Occasionally they shared a bed. Occasionally they shared more than just a bed. But Mulder was complicated in ways that not even her curious intellect found intriguing after years and years of uncertainty. And now here she was with Monica. But Monica's complicated details were easy to embrace. They had more in common than they didn't have in common. Definitely more in common than her and Mulder.

"What are you thinking about?" Monica finally got out, cautiously and quietly. Scully was glad the silence was broken. "Mulder," she said bluntly. Monica took a quick breath. She was ignited with questions. "Mulder, huh?" she said hoping Scully wouldn't sense her disappointment. Scully did sense it and turned towards Monica. "Oh, no. I mean, I was thinking about how he pulled me along on his journey - until I willingly went and then went and went until I had nothing left. How he was mainly a … nightmare to my heart."

She paused which prompted Monica to roll onto her side to face her. "I need someone more willing to lead a somewhat boring and typical life. Kids, the house, the minivan, the dream." She smiled. Monica smiled back but couldn't resist settling her curiosity. She said, in an almost whisper, "But why were you thinking about Mulder at all?" Monica had a deep rooted fear that Scully only liked her, in whatever way she liked her, because she reminded her of him. "I thought of him because he's the last person I shared a bed with, before you. And I noticed that I feel so different now. So far away from that." Monica felt relieved. She couldn't and didn't want to compete with Mulder for Scully's attention. She knew she would never win. "As long as you're happy, Scully. Really. That's all I want." Scully smiled and asked, "And are you happy?" Monica nodded and teased, "Yes. Especially right now. I love going to bed knowing I have to wake up early to make breakfast for someone else."

They stayed up talking for hours, forgetting how tired they were when they first laid down. They were mainly telling stories of silly things they did in their youth. Scully finished one about a college boyfriend and asked Monica, "What about you? Any good college boyfriend stories?" Monica raised an eyebrow, "Girlfriend stories, actually." Scully was truly trying to stay open and found herself very intrigued at the thought of Monica having a girlfriend. She had been since she first discovered the idea. "Even better," she said playfully. Monica told a story about having a crush on her psychology professor and taking things too far. "I can't seem to resist beautiful, powerful, intelligent women," Monica confessed. Scully smirked, "Well who could?"

Monica was having a hard time believing they were actually having a conversation about women. She went with the openness and asked, "What about you? Any women in your past?" Scully had been wondering when Monica would ask that very question. "During my junior year of college I met this girl at a house party. She was more interested in exploring the house than in actually joining the party. But when she did interact with someone, she was so charismatic. Classy but down to earth. I couldn't keep my eyes off of her." Monica was intrigued, "What did she look like?" Scully thought for a moment, "Well, I guess I can't seem to resist tall, dark, and handsome." Monica playfully repeated, "Well who could?"

She urged Scully to continue, "So, what happened?" Scully took a deep breath, "Later on I found her sitting outside on the deck, sitting by herself by the firepit. I sat down and introduced myself. About five minutes later we were kissing." Monica's eyes got wider. "Did you ever see her again?" she asked. Scully shook her head, "No. Never. I wanted to though." Monica was still curious and asked, "Was she the only one?" Scully raised an eyebrow, "Who wants to know?" she teased. Monica playfully rolled her eyes. Scully laughed, "She's the only one," she paused then continued, "... so far."


End file.
